Rules Committee on Oversight and Reform House Of
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1 [COMMITTEE PRINT] 116th Congress " 1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER WITH SELECTED RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SELECTED STATUTES OF INTEREST 2019 Printed for the use of the Committee on Oversight and Reform 116th Congress " 1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER WITH SELECTED RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SELECTED STATUTES OF INTEREST 2019 Printed for the use of the Committee on Oversight and Reform U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 35–461 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019 COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland, Chairman Carolyn B. Maloney, New York Jim Jordan, Ohio, Ranking Minority Member Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia Justin Amash, Michigan Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri Paul A. Gosar, Arizona Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Jim Cooper, Tennessee Thomas Massie, Kentucky Gerald E. Connolly, Virginia Mark Meadows, North Carolina Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Jody B. Hice, Georgia Jamie Raskin, Maryland Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Harley Rouda, California James Comer, Kentucky Katie Hill, California Michael Cloud, Texas Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Bob Gibbs, Ohio John P. Sarbanes, Maryland Clay Higgins, Louisiana Peter Welch, Vermont Ralph Norman, South Carolina Jackie Speier, California Chip Roy, Texas Robin L. Kelly, Illinois Carol D. Miller, West Virginia Mark DeSaulnier, California Mark E. Green, Tennessee Brenda L. Lawrence, Michigan Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota Stacey E. Plaskett, Virgin Islands W. Gregory Steube, Florida Ro Khanna, California Jimmy Gomez, California Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Rashida Tlaib, Michigan DAVID RAPALLO, Staff Director SUSANNE SACHSMAN GROOMS, Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel KRISTA BOYD, General Counsel ELISA LANIER, Chief Clerk and Director of Operations CHRISTOPHER HIXON, Minority Staff Director C O N T E N T S Page I. Rules of the Committee on Oversight and Reform ........................................ 1 Rule 1.—General ....................................................................................... 1 Rule 2.—Meetings ..................................................................................... 1 Rule 3.—Quorums ..................................................................................... 2 Rule 4.—Committee Reports .................................................................... 2 Rule 5.—Record Votes ............................................................................... 3 Rule 6.—Subcommittees; Referrals .......................................................... 3 Rule 7.—Subcommittee Hearing and Meeting Procedure ...................... 4 Rule 8.—Staff ............................................................................................. 5 Rule 9.—Hearings ..................................................................................... 5 Rule 10.—Committee Records, Open Meetings, Transparency ............. 6 Rule 11.—Audio and Visual Coverage of Committee Proceedings ........ 7 Rule 12.—Additional Duties of the Chair of the Committee ................. 7 Rule 13.—Consideration of Certain Bills and Resolutions .................... 8 Rule 14.—Panels and Task Forces ........................................................... 8 Rule 15.—Deposition Authority ............................................................... 9 Rule 16.—Witness and Privilege Procedure ............................................ 11 II. Selected Rules of the House of Representatives ............................................ 13 A. 1. Powers and Duties of the Committee—Rule X of the House ...... 13 2. General Oversight Responsibilities—Rule X, Clauses 2 and 3 of the House .................................................................................... 14 3. Additional Functions of Committees—Rule X, Clause 4 of the House and H. Res. 5 ....................................................................... 17 B. Procedures of Committees and Unfinished Business—Rule XI of the House ............................................................................................ 18 C. Reports—Selected Excerpts from Rule XIII, Clauses 2, 3 and 4 of the House ........................................................................................ 31 III. Selected Matters of Interest ............................................................................ 35 A. 2 U.S.C. Sec. 191. Oaths to witnesses ............................................ 35 B. 2 U.S.C. Sec. 192. Refusal of witness to testify or produce pa- pers ...................................................................................................... 35 C. 2 U.S.C. Sec. 193. Privilege of witnesses ....................................... 35 D. 2 U.S.C. Sec. 194. Certification of failure to testify or produce; grand jury action ................................................................................ 35 E. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a. Privacy Act exemptions .................................. 36 F. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 2302. Prohibited personnel practices ...................... 37 G. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 2954. Information to committees of Congress on request ................................................................................................ 37 H. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 7211. Employees’ right to petition Congress .......... 38 I. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001. Statements or entries generally .................... 38 J. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1505. Obstruction of proceedings before depart- ments, agencies, and committees ...................................................... 38 K. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1621. Perjury generally ............................................ 39 L. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 6005. Congressional proceedings ............................. 39 M. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 535. Investigation of crimes involving Govern- ment officers and employees; limitations ......................................... 40 N. 31 U.S.C. Sec. 712. Investigating the use of public money ........... 40 O. 31 U.S.C. Sec. 717. Evaluating programs and activities of the United States Government ................................................................ 40 P. 31 U.S.C. Sec. 719. Comptroller General reports ........................... 41 Q. 31 U.S.C. Sec. 1113. Congressional information ............................ 41 I. RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM U.S. House of Representatives 116th Congress Rule 1 — General (a) Rules of the House. The Rules of the House are the rules of the Committee on Oversight and Reform (″the Committee″) and its subcommittees so far as applicable. (b) Application of the Rules. Except where the terms ″the Committee″ and ″subcommittee″ are specifically referred to, the fol- lowing rules shall apply to the Committee and its subcommittees as well as to their respective chairs, ranking minority members, members, and staff. Rule 2 — Meetings (a) Regular Meetings. The regular meetings of the Committee shall be held on the second Thursday of each month at 10 a.m., when the House is in session. The Chair of the Committee is au- thorized to dispense with a regular meeting or to change the date thereof when circumstances warrant. (b) Additional and Special Meetings. The Chair of the Com- mittee may call and convene additional meetings, when cir- cumstances warrant. A special meeting of the Committee may be requested by members of the Committee pursuant to the provisions of House Rule XI, clause 2(c)(2). (c) Subcommittee Meetings. Each subcommittee shall meet at the call of its chair, subject to Rule 7. (d) Presiding Member. The Chair of the Committee or a sub- committee shall preside over each meeting and hearing thereof (″the presiding member″). If the Chair of the Committee or a sub- committee is not present during a meeting or hearing thereof, the Vice Chair of the Committee or subcommittee, designated pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 2(d), shall serve as the presiding member during the absence of the Chair. If the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee or a subcommittee are not present during a meeting or hearing thereof, the ranking member of the majority party on the Committee or subcommittee who is present shall serve as the pre- siding member during the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair. (e) Notice. The chair of the Committee or a subcommittee shall announce the date, place, and subject matter of a meeting or hear- ing pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 2(g)(3)(A). (1) 2 (f) Agenda. Every member of the Committee, unless prevented by unusual circumstances, shall be provided with a memorandum at least three calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, unless the House is in session on such days) before each meeting or hearing explaining: (1) the purpose of the meeting or hearing; and (2) the names, titles, background and reasons for appearance of any witnesses. The Ranking Minority Member shall be responsible for providing the same information on witnesses whom the minority may request. (g) Availability of Text. To the maximum extent practicable, amendments to a measure or matter shall be submitted in writing or electronically to the designee of the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee or a subcommittee at least 24 hours prior to its consideration of the measure or matter. The Chair may exercise discretion to give priority to amendments submitted pursu- ant to this process. Rule 3 — Quorums (a) Generally.